


Fake It Till You Make It

by javajunkie



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Romantic Comedy, fake dating au, fake relationship au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-16 02:44:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11244699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/javajunkie/pseuds/javajunkie
Summary: Betty and Jughead pose as a fake couple for an investigative journalism piece.Written by request for RaptorLily.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Ever since she was a little girl, Betty wanted to be a journalist.  She watched her own mother, Alice, chase down the perfect story with the same gusto that other mothers in Riverdale sought out the perfect pump or roasting pan.  Alice wasn’t domestically inclined, and it was Betty’s father who took over more of the domestic duties as Alice’s career took off.  Her mother wasn’t particularly nurturing in those years we she was chasing one story after another.   Instead, Alice taught her daughter the importance of hard work, perseverance and, above all, the truth.  From a young age, Alice instilled in Betty that no lengths were too far or journeys too great when one was pursuing the truth. 

            Betty took what Alice taught her and let it fuel her through college and her first few years at small papers, paying her dues with mindless stories covering local basketball games and small town oddities.   The work wasn’t exactly fulfilling, but it served its purpose when she finally found herself on the investigative journalism beat.  It all started when she sniffed out a local bakery swindling older customers into buying days old pastries for full price.  It wasn’t exactly the piece of a lifetime, but it gave her visibility.  A few meatier pieces later, Betty proved that she was able to find stories, and her newspaper gave her more autonomy in choosing her stories and investigating them.  She still took assignments when her editor offered, which happened with increasing frequency as she ingrained herself farther into the investigative beat.

            “Betty, I have a story for you,” her editor, Mark, said, walking over to her desk and sitting in front of her.  She looked up from her stack of interview notes, glasses perched haphazardly on her nose.

            “What type of story?”

            “What do you mean what type of story?” he returned glibly.  “A good one.  Why else would I bring it to you?”

            Betty grinned.  “Tell me more.”

            “You’re familiar with the Blossom family, right?”

            “Of course I am,” Betty returned easily.  Everyone in Riverdale knew about the Blossom family and their maple syrup fortune.  No kitchen was complete without one bottle of Blossom maple syrup on the table and at least two in the pantry. 

            “I’m sure you are also aware that their prodigal son, Jason, is still refusing to take his rightful place in the family business, which has left the fortune remarkably vulnerable.  This weekend is their weird Stepford family reunion where Blossoms from far and wide come and see the trees tapped for maple syrup.  Rumor has it that someone is going to make a grab for the company.  I want you to get the inside story.”

            “Okay,” Betty said slowly, mind whirring as she tried to think of a way for her to get inside.

            “Before you start worrying about how to get in, I already took care of that,” Mark said.  “I had Jonah doctor up something that says you’re a fifth cousin or something.  They already sent the invitation with an apology for not reaching out sooner.”

            Betty blinked with confusion and asked, “How do they think I’m a fifth cousin?”

            “Jonah forged a birth certificate,” Mark returned easily.

            Betty gaped at him and said, “Mark, I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”

            “No one will find out,” Mark said dismissively. “Besides, all for the story right?”

            Betty felt a thrill run down her spine.  He was right.  People did a lot worse in pursuit of the truth.   She nodded wholeheartedly and said, “You’re right, Mark.  All for the story.”

            Her blood began to pump feverishly as she thought about the story and all of the moving pieces.  She hadn’t been fully immersed in many stories like this, and she knew it would take a vigilance that she hadn’t needed before.

            “Betty, before you get too far in your head there, I should tell you that you’re not going in alone.”

            “I’m not?”  Betty asked with confusion.  They rarely sent more than one journalist in for a piece.  They were a small outlet and usually couldn’t afford to stack a given story with more than one writer.

            “The Blossoms don’t like unmarried women.  It’s antiquated bullshit, but they don’t trust them.”

            Betty snorted.  “You’re kidding, right?”

            “I wish I was.  We need them to trust you, Betty.  So, we’re sending Jughead in with you.”

            Betty laughed at the stupidity of that notion and said, “Jughead?  As, what, my husband?”

            “Yep, that’s the plan.”

            “You do realize that even if you send Jughead with me, I am still an unmarried woman.”

            “Yes, Betty, I understand the basic mechanics of a marriage,” Mark returned drily.  “You and Jughead will not actually be married.  But the Blossoms will not know that.”

“You can’t be serious.”  When she saw that Mark was, in fact, serious, she said, “Mark, you know how Jughead and I are together.  No one is going to believe that we are married.”  

“Then make them believe it.  Sell it.”

“Mark-“

“Look, if you’re that opposed to Jughead going with you I can find someone else.  I wanted my strongest writers going, but if you have that big of a problem-“

“No, I don’t,” Betty interrupted, more horrified by the idea of someone else getting her story than having to play house with Jughead for a weekend.  “I want this story.”

“Good.  Jug’s out of the office right now but I told him to talk to you when he gets back.”  Mark stood up and said, “Try to play nice.  Remember that you guys have to actually look like you like each other this weekend.”

Betty frowned and murmured, “That may be harder than the actual assignment.”

“What ever happened with you guys anyway?”  Mark asked.  “You’re nice to literally everyone except him.”

“It’s a long story,” Betty said wearily.

“Well, whatever it is you guys better get over it.”

Betty took a deep breath and said, “Don’t worry, Mark, I am an adult.  I can put aside my personal feelings for one weekend and I’m sure Jughead can do the same.”  Thinking of her editor’s prior words, she echoed, “Besides, it’s all for the story, right?”

 

* * *

 

             Betty was halfway through a piece with a relatively tight deadline when Jughead strolled into her cubicle and said, “Hello there, wife.”

            She bit the inside of her cheek to quell her immediate sharp response before looking up from her computer screen and telling him, “Please don’t call me that.  We aren’t on assignment yet.”

            “I’m just getting in character,” he returned glibly.  “I like to live with it a little.  It helps it feel more realistic.”

            “You’re deriving too much enjoyment from this.”

            Jughead did a half laugh and said, “I don’t know, I’m kind of excited.”

            Betty didn’t like the sound of that and narrowed her eyes.  Hesitantly, she asked him, “Why?”

            “Come on, Betty.  It’s like old times.”

            “It’s not,” she said immediately.

            “You and me teaming up together?  It sounds like old times.  We used to do stuff like this all the time back at Riverdale High.  Searching out the next big story.  We singlehandedly brought on the lunch lady revolution of ’08.”

            “That was a long time ago,” Betty said. “And the lunch lady revolution was simmering long before we became involved.”

            “You can’t tell me you’re not a little excited.”

            “I’m not,” Betty told him firmly.  “I think it’s ridiculous and antiquated that you even need to be there.”

            “You work with the subjects,” Jughead said with an easy shrug.  “That’s the job.  If you tried to change them you wouldn’t be getting an honest story.”

            “I know that,” Betty snapped. 

            Jughead’s eyes darkened and he said, “Oh, you know that but you don’t like it because it’s me, right?  Jesus, Betty, are you ever going to get over whatever stupid grudge you’re holding against me?  Because if there was ever a time to do so, it’s now.”

            “I don’t hold grudges,” Betty returned stubbornly.  “And I really don’t want to have this conversation.  We have an assignment starting tomorrow, let’s focus on that.”

            “Fine.”

            “ _Fine_.”

            The pair shared an uneasy glance, a vein in Betty’s forehead pulsing and Jughead’s jaw tight.  Betty took a deep breath before she told him, “We probably should come up with a story.”

            “What type of story?”

            “How we met,” Betty said with eyes wide.  “What sort of story did you think we needed to come up with?” 

            “Okay, calm down.  Why don’t we just use the real story?”

            “No,” Betty said immediately.

            “Why not?  It’ll make it easier to remember.  Besides, there’s a chance that Cheryl Blossom is there, and she actually knows us, remember?”

            “Hardly.  She was two years ahead of us in school.”

            “Do you want to chance our cover getting blown because you were too stubborn to use the real and perfectly fine story of how we met?”

            “I’m not being – “ Betty cut herself off and curled her hands into tight fists.  “Fine, we’ll use the real story.  But leave Archie out.”

            “Archie is a pretty big part of the story.”

            “I don’t care,” Betty snapped.  “Leave Archie out of it.”

 

* * *

 

_Ten years ago_

             _Betty sat on the cold pavement, her bulbous tulle skirt practically up to her elbows.  Behind her she could hear the sounds of Homecoming, the gleeful shrieks and strains of pop music in stark contrast to the fat tears that rolled down her cheeks.  She finally worked up the courage to tell Archie show she felt, and he rejected her.  A lifetime of friendship and what she thought were shared glances and stolen moments, and instead it had all been in her head.  He didn’t love her like she loved him.  He didn’t even like her.  He told her how she was still one of the most important people in his life, but she couldn’t hear him.  All she could hear was her own heart beat and the overly optimistic lyrics of the song playing on the loudspeakers._

_Betty knocked her head back against the building and closed her eyes, willing herself to be twenty minutes earlier so that she could take it all back.  She could go back to loving him by herself, because at least she still had him then.  After tonight, everything changed and she was afraid that they had broken beyond repair.  She heard a noise to her left and quickly looked over and saw a boy with a slim frame illuminated by the tall street lamp above him.  He must have been from the dance because he was dressed in a suit.  She noticed a lit cigarette between his fingers.  He walked over and asked, “Can I join you?”_

_Betty knew that she should be wary of strangers, but there was something disarming about him, so she nodded and said, “Yeah, sure.”_

_He sat down next to her and stretched his legs out in front of him.  Comically bright socks poked out from under his black suit pants.  He saw her gaze and said, “Laundry day.”_

_“I like them,” she said.  “They have character.”_

_He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered them to her.  She shook her head and he put them back into his suit pocket.  The October weather wasn’t exactly warm, and she shivered next to him after a particularly gusty bit of wind.  He slid off his jacket and after a questioning raise of his eye brows, he coaxed the jacket around her shoulders._

_“What are you doing out here?”  he asked after settling back against the wall.  “You look party ready.”_

_Again, Betty knew that she probably shouldn’t tell her problems to a complete stranger, but he actually seemed interested in why she was out there by herself and she was wearing his jacket, so without giving it much more thought she shared, “I told my best friend that I’ve been in love with him since practically the day we met, and he doesn’t feel the same way.  So, he’s in there and I’m…”_

_“Out here,” he finished.  He took a drag off of his cigarette and said, “That’s rough.  I’m really sorry.”_

_“The worst thing is that I can’t avoid him.  He has a friend who just moved into town and is meeting us here.  We’re all supposed to go to Pop’s after this and I’m the driver.  Naturally.”_

_He looked at her strangely and asked, “Hold on, what’s your friend’s name?”_

_“What?  Why?”_

_“Betty, there you are!”_

_The pair looked over at the tall redhead, Archie, who joined them.  Archie looked between them in confusion and the boy next to her said, “Hey there, Arch.”_

_“Hi Jughead.”_

_Betty’s eyes went wide and she stammered, “You’re Jughead?”_

 

* * *

 

             “We’re leaving Archie out of it,” Betty told Jughead firmly.  “Just say we met at Homecoming sophomore year.  Which still doesn’t explain our being married now.  What, have we been together for ten years?”

            “Why not?”

            “We’d need to have the dynamic of people who have been together for ten years,” Betty said slowly.  She gestured between them and said, “That isn’t going to happen.”

            “Fine, we ended up at the same paper after college and reconnected there,” Jughead offered.  He smirked and added, “I just couldn’t resist your drunken rendition of _All By Myself_ at the annual Christmas party.”

            “You are not saying that,” Betty said, eyes flashing. 

            “I thought we agreed to stick with the truth,” Jughead returned innocently.

            Betty reached up and tightened her ponytail to the point of pain.

            “We reconnected at the paper,” she said.  “You asked me out to dinner because of how much you admired my work.  I grudgingly agreed because I really wanted to focus on my career.”  Jughead rolled his eyes.  “After a year of dating you propose.  We get married a year after that.  That puts us at, what, twenty four?”

            Jughead nodded and said, “Good job at that basic addition.”

            “So, we’ve been married for two years.  Got it?”

            “As if I lived it myself,” he returned.

            “We need to be at the Blossom grounds at 10:00 a.m.  We’ll meet at my apartment at 9:00 sharp.  Don’t be late.”

            Jughead scratched at the back of his neck and muttered, “This weekend is going to be fun.”

                       

 

           


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I post sneak peaks for chapters and one-shots over at my Tumblr: javajunkie03. 
> 
> If you have Tumblr, feel free to follow me over there!

Chapter Two

Jughead was five minutes late and Betty quelled her immediate admonishments as they made their way to the Blossom manor.  The Blossoms sequestered themselves in a sparsely populated part of town, thick tangles of trees shielding them from the surrounding view.  The house was stunning, as expected.  All polished columns and grandeur, it looked like something out of a fairytale.  A fleet of expensive cars were lined around the expansive driveway that circled the front of the house, Betty recognizing most of the makes and models but stuck on a few.  She imagined they were probably some exclusive European car of which only people in the Blossom’s circle of wealth were privy.  In fact, the Blossoms with their expensive cars, tailored clothing and gazelle-like necks, seemed almost like their own species.  They moved differently, almost as if they were literally gliding down the sidewalk.  She couldn’t move like that.  She was lucky if she could muster a fraction of grace, unlike these individuals who seemed to breathe it out like nitrogen.  Betty felt her stomach curl uncomfortably as she realized the monumental task ahead of her.  Glancing over at Jughead, she was somewhat relieved to see the same feelings evident in his tight jaw.

            “What’s our story again?”  Jughead asked in a low voice.

            Betty took a deep breath and told him, “We reconnected at the paper.  You pined.  I reluctantly agreed.”

            “We’ve been married for two years,” Jughead finished.

            Betty glanced down at her new wedding ring and flexed her finger experimentally.  Sunlight hit the center stone and danced on the car’s dashboard.  Jughead shifted next to her and said, “We should head inside.  It’ll look suspicious if we’re in here for too long.”

            “Okay, yeah.”

            Betty slid on her sunglasses and walked out of the car, wobbling uncertainly on the cobblestone driveway.  She shut the door and walked over to Jughead, meeting him at the hood of the car.  He offered her his arm and she frowned slightly before linking arms with him.  They moved down the driveway, the Blossom manor looming ominously before them.

            “You know I was here once before,” Jughead said.

            “You were?  When?”

            “Cheryl threw some party when we were in high school and Archie made me go.”

            Betty stopped and said, “Hold on, you never told me that you and Cheryl actually were around each other.  Don’t you think this is something you should have told me?  Or Mark?”

            “And lose the chance for this beautiful union?”  Jughead quipped.

            “I’m serious.”

            “We never even saw her,” Jughead said, exasperation evident in his voice.  “The place was packed.  Archie and I ended up leaving after ten minutes.”

            Betty let out a shaky breath.  “Okay, good.”

            “Besides, even if I did talk with her, it’s not that surprising that we all had lives after high school.”

            “I know, but during high school we weren’t exactly _this_ ,” she said, gesturing between them.

            “Yeah, we all know it was the Archie and Betty show for four years,” Jughead said, somewhat unkindly.  “But is it really that implausible that we ended up together?”

            Betty bristled and said, “Yeah, I think it is.”

            Jughead narrowed his eyes and said, “Gee, thanks, Betty.”

            “We shouldn’t talk about this now,” Betty said, cheeks flushing.  “We’re supposed to look like a happy married couple, right?”

            “No, hold on, we’re going to sort this out right now,” Jughead said.  “What the hell did I do to make you hate me so much?  Because after all these years, I still don’t know.”

            “Not now,” Betty hissed.  “We have a job to do.”

            “You think that I don’t know that?  But we need to clear the air, otherwise this will never work.”

            “We’re not doing this now,” she said.  “Either follow me or go home.”

            She brushed past him and up toward the house.  It took a moment, but then she heard Jughead trudging along behind her.  Perspiration dotted her hairline and she could feel her pulse all the way to her fingertips.  She was mad.  Angry to the point that she didn’t know what to do with all the anger that she felt, so she pushed it deep down like she always did, adding it to the swirling storm of emotions just beneath her pristine surface.  With each footstep Betty felt her control return.  She felt nearly at equilibrium until she approached the front door and it opened to reveal one Archie Andrews.

            “Oh shit.”

 

* * *

 

            Spring, 2008

 

            _It finally happened.  After years of wishing and hoping and too many tears to count, Archie Andrews finally kissed her and it was the greatest thing to ever happen to her in her eighteen years of living.  His mouth was warm against hers, hands gentle but firm on her waist.  Behind them, John Mayer sang sweetly from the jukebox.  Archie pulled away after a moment, breathing just a bit labored, and murmured, “I should have done that a long time ago, Betty.”_

_“It was worth the wait.”_

_“So, what do you say, will you go to Prom with me?”_

 

            Jughead knocked into her, hands circling her waist and she was pulled roughly from the memory.  She turned her gaze from Archie to Jughead and felt somewhat in a daze as Jughead widened his eyes before sliding his hand to her hip and pulling her body gently against his.  She felt drunk, overwhelmed by Archie sharing the same air as her after so many years.  But she knew what Jughead was doing.  If anyone would be difficult to convince of their relationship, it would be the person who used to know them best.  Betty took a fortifying breath and covered Jughead’s hand with her own.

            “Betty, what are you doing here?”  Archie asked, wonderstruck smile bringing a similar one to her mouth.

            “It turns out that I have Blossom blood,” she said, launching into the story she crafted with surprising dexterity considering her state of mind.  “My, uh, great grandfather was a Blossom.  My dad kept it a secret when we were growing up, but Polly did an ancestry thing and it came out.”

            “That’s crazy,” he said.  His gaze slid to Jughead and he asked, “So, you two…”

            “Married,” Jughead said, flashing his own wedding ring.  “Going on two years.”

            “That’s…great,” Archie said slowly.  “And, I’m not going to lie, sort of surprising.  You guys never really seemed like…anyway, congratulations.  I’m really happy for you two.”

            “What about you?”  Jughead asked.

            As if on cue, Cheryl Blossom appeared in the doorway and said, “Babe, why are you blocking the doorway?”

            She saw Betty and her eyes brightened.  “Betty Cooper, come over here!”

            She pushed past Archie and pulled Betty into a tight hug.  Betty, still reeling from Archie being there and apparently dating Cheryl Blossom, awkwardly patted Cheryl’s back.  Cheryl pulled back and said, “To think that all these years we were related and didn’t know it.”

            “Yeah,” Betty said with a tight laugh.  “Imagine that.”

            Cheryl looked over Betty’s shoulder at Jughead and said, “I’m guessing you’re Betty’s husband?”

            “Yep, that’s me.”  He held out his hand.  “I’m Jughead Jones.”

            Cheryl’s eyes lit with recognition and she said, “Weren’t you at one of my parties here during high school?”

            Betty felt her stomach twist.  So much for Cheryl not seeing him.

            “Yeah, I was.  With Archie, actually.”  Jughead was eager to move the conversation off of him and asked,  “So, how did you two end up reconnecting?”

            “At one of his shows,” Cheryl said, beaming up at Archie.  “It was about three months ago, wasn’t it?”

            He nodded.  “Yeah, I was playing a show at The Armory and she was there.  We got a drink afterwards and then things just sort of happened.”

            “Wow, Archie, make it sound less romantic,” Cheryl said.

            “I’m sorry, this happened _very_ romantically,” he said, making Cheryl laugh.

            “So, you’re still playing music?”  Betty asked, smiling softly.  Archie nodded and Betty said, “I’m really glad to hear that.”

            “Anyway, we should get inside,” Cheryl said brightly.  “My parents are going to want to start the festivities soon and God forbid if we are late.”

            Jughead and Betty followed the pair into the house and Jughead leaned in and asked, “Are you okay?”

            Betty looked over at him in surprise and asked, “Yeah.  Why wouldn’t I be?”

            “With Archie being here and all.  I know things didn’t exactly end well with you two.”

            “Yeah, you of all people should know that.”

            Jughead gave her a confused look.  “What?  Betty-“

            “Come on, let’s go.  We’re drawing attention.”

 

* * *

 

 

            The Blossoms set out an expansive brunch spread prior to the tree tapping festivities, and the family chatted amicably over plates of French toast and steaming mugs of coffee.  It all seemed rather cordial, which made Betty wonder if maybe there wasn’t a story to tell here, after all.  There didn’t appear to be any clawing to the top.  Jason Blossom was noticeably absent, but the family seemed remarkably forgiving.

            “As you all know, Jason is in Europe pursuing his true passions.  We’re just so happy that he found his own path in life,” his mother said, clutching her mug of coffee to her chest.  “He’s happy.  That’s all a parent truly wants for their child, isn’t it?”

            Clifford Blossom strolled forward and said, “Penelope and I are very excited to announce the next leader of Blossom Industries.  She is remarkably capable and frighteningly intelligent.  Everyone, I am pleased to announce that my very own daughter, Cheryl Blossom, is slated to become the next CEO of Blossom Industries.”

            Cheryl accepted a brief congratulatory kiss from Archie before moving to join her parents.  While the attention was squarely on Cheryl, Betty took the opportunity to assess the reactions around the room.  Betty scanned the various faces, eyes lingering on an older woman in a wheelchair near the edge of the room.  Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, cheek bones cut perfectly in her sagging skin.  While everyone else in the room smiled wide, this woman appeared almost melancholy.  Mouth set into what seemed to be a familiar grimace and hands clasped in her lap.  The woman wheeled herself out of the room.

            Betty handed Jughead her coffee mug and said, “I’ll be back.”

            “Where are you going?”

            “To find the story.”

            “I’m coming with you.”

            “No, stay here,” Betty said.  “I don’t need you for this.”

            “What am I supposed to do, just stand here with your coffee cup?” he whispered irritably.

            “Yes, that’s exactly what you are supposed to do.  Now, let me do my job.”

            Jughead looked like he wanted to argue but he didn’t.  Instead, he finished her coffee, coughing at the saccharine sweet taste that filled his mouth.

            “How much sugar did you put in this?” he stammered.

            Betty ignored him and headed back to where the older woman went.  She found her in the back seating area, wheelchair parked next to a window that faced what looked like an old barn.   Betty joined her and said, “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

            “Yes.  Beautiful day to send yet another young Blossom to the slaughterhouse.  Maybe this one will fare better than poor Jason.”

            Betty’s pulse quickened.  “What do you mean?”

            “Betty, dear, there you are,” Penelope Blossom said, sweeping into the room.  She stopped short when she saw that Betty wasn’t alone and said, “Mother, what are you doing out here?”

            A younger woman with a shock of black hair rushed in and said, “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Blossom, I turned my back for a second and she wheeled herself out.  Adelaide, come on, let’s go back to your room.”

            She took a hold of the woman’s wheelchair and removed her from the room.  Betty watched, wanting to follow when Penelope said, “I’m sorry about that.  Hopefully she didn’t shock you too much.  My mother is not well.  Her medication usually keeps her symptoms under control, but sometimes she has episodes.”

            Something rang false about Penelope’s overture and Betty said, “She didn’t tell me anything.  We were just remarking on the weather.”

            Penelope seemed relieved at that and said, “Good.  I’m glad to hear that.  Anyway, we are heading out for the tapping.  I presume you are joining us?”

            “Yes, absolutely,” Betty said.  “Lead the way.”

            Betty followed Penelope out of the room, casually looking from side to side to see if she could ascertain which way Penelope’s mother and her nurse went.  No such luck.  They rejoined the group and Betty walked over to Jughead.  She took a hold of his arm and said, “I think I may have found something.”

            “Really?”

            She swallowed hard and told him, “I don’t think he’s in Europe.”

            “Where is he, then?”  She didn’t answer for a long moment and Jughead asked her, “Betty?”

            “I think he’s dead.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a lot happens in this. Hope you enjoy!

 Chapter Three

            Betty didn’t know there could be quite so much fanfare centered on tree tapping, but there she was, in the middle of a forest, applauding what she supposed was an exemplary tree tapping.  In truth, she couldn’t tell a poor tapping from an exemplary one.  Jughead seemed particularly interested in the process, and she leaned in and murmured, “Taking notes for future tree tapping endeavors?”

            “You never know when things will come in handy, Betty.”

            “For some reason, I think this is one of those situations where I can say with certainty that it will not.”  Betty felt remarkably impatient, and said, “We’re wasting time here.  We should be figuring out what happened to Jason.”

            “In order to do that we need to actually maintain our cover,” Jughead said in a low voice.  “That’s what we’re doing.”

            Betty’s attention was diverted by Archie and Cheryl.  She watched them trudge through the snow, Cheryl pressed against his side and Archie’s arm wrapped around her waist.  Her own thoughts drifted back to when that had been her.  She was embarrassed by how often her thoughts drifted to their time together since she saw him.  Betty didn’t like to pine, particularly when the person was clearly in love with someone else.  Betty had never been friends with Cheryl, but she seemed good for Archie, and that’s all she could ever wish for.  Jughead tracked her gaze and laughed sardonically.

            “I see some things never change.”

            Her body tensed.  “You have no right to say anything about that.  _Especially_ not you.”

            “You know, I’m getting really sick of you being pissed at me all the time,” he said in a low voice.  “I’ve never done anything to you.”

            “Oh really?  Is that what you think?  God, you probably think you were _helping_ me.  You’re just deluded enough to think that of yourself.”

            “Betty, what the hell are you talking about?”

            “I know what you said to Archie,” she said.  “All those years ago.  I know what you said.  And I know that you – “ she broke off, shaking her head irritably.  “Anyway, it’s done.  You made damn sure of that.”

            “Betty-“

            “We can’t talk about this here,” she said, wiping at her nose with the back of her hand.  “We have a job to do.”

            She rushed off before he could say anything, hoping that he didn’t follow.  She went back into the Blossom house, disappearing into one of the side rooms.  She closed the door and felt dread settle in her stomach when she heard the door open behind her.  She turned around, ready to tell Jughead to go, when she found Archie in front of her.

            “What are you doing here?” she asked in a small voice.

            “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

            “Just wanted some air,” she said. 

            “So you came inside?”  Archie asked with a slow grin.

            Betty laughed humorlessly when she realized the stupidity of what she said and told him, “I guess I just needed to get away.  Indoors seemed as good of a place to escape as any.”

            “I saw you and Jughead exchanging some words,” Archie said cautiously.  “I know it’s none of my business, but I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

            Betty smiled sadly.  “You always did.”

            She sat down on the couch and Archie settled next to her, not saying a word.  She forgot how comforting his sturdy silence could be.  It had been one of her favorite things about him. 

            “I know this is about ten years too late, but I’m really sorry about how things ended between us,” Betty said softly.

            “What, why?”

            “I should have fought for you more.  When Veronica told me about those things that Jughead said – the lies he put in your head – I should have told you the truth.  But I was too embarrassed.  You broke up with me and I was too scared that maybe part of it was because you really didn’t want to be with me.   Anyway, I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

            Archie didn’t respond for a long moment, his expression unreadable.  Betty assumed it had been an overshare on her part and immediately felt her cheeks flush with shame, and she said, “I didn’t say all of that to try to – I didn’t mean – you and Cheryl are great together.  I’m really happy for you two.”

            Archie looked down at his hands clasped on his lap and took a deep breath before he asked, “What exactly do you think that Jughead told me?”

            “Well, I only know what Veronica told me.  But she said that he basically said that I didn’t want to take what we had past high school.  I wanted a clean slate for college.  That’s why we broke up.”

            Archie exhaled sharply, raking his fingers through his red hair.  Betty had a feeling she wasn’t going to like what she heard, and her suspicions were confirmed when he told her, “Jughead never told me any of that.”

            “Excuse me?”

            “It was Veronica who said all of that stuff.  She told me that you were too scared to tell me yourself, but that giving you space would be the right thing.  I was eighteen and just insecure enough to believe it, so I did what she said.  I ended things.  Jughead actually tried to talk me out of breaking up with you.  He said it was another one of Veronica’s games.”

            Betty shook her head in disbelief.  “I can’t believe this.  Why would she do that?”

            Archie scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably and said, “I might have an idea.”  Betty raised her eyebrows in questioning and he continued with, “She reached out to me during college wanting to meet for coffee.  I said yes, and she was in…well…full Veronica form.”

            “Oh my God,” Betty breathed out with disgust.  “She wanted you for yourself?”

            “It feels a bit weird to say it myself, but yeah.  It sort of seemed that way.”

            Betty wanted to say that was out of character for her former friend, but it wasn’t.  Their childhood friendship was peppered with instances of Veronica one-upping Betty, covering it with an eye roll and assurances that what she did wasn’t wrong, because she was her best friend.  Granted, this was on a much larger scale, but it seemed perfectly in line with the Veronica she remembered, and made her even more self-assured in her decision years earlier to cut all ties with her old friend.

            Archie broke the silence with, “Well, thankfully that’s all in the past.  I found Cheryl.  You ended up with Jughead.  We are both where we’re supposed to be.”

            “Yeah, we are,” Betty returned softly, thinking about how unreasonably cruel she’d been to Jughead over the years.  All because of lies Veronica fed her.  “Anyway, we should get back out there.  This is Cheryl’s big day.  You should be there with her.”

            Archie nodded, standing up.  He wiped his hands on the front of his pants and asked her, “So, are you okay?”

            Betty nodded.  “Yeah.  I actually am.”

            They walked back outside and saw the crowd heading back from the forest.  Cheryl spotted Archie and grinned wide, holding out her hand toward him.  He went to her side, pressing a kiss to her temple as he slid his arm around her waist again.  Jughead seemed less enthused to see her, and she couldn’t blame him.  She walked over to him and looped her arm around his, leaning in to whisper, “We need to talk.”

            “This should be fun,” he murmured, although he let her lead him over to the same room that she and Archie had been in minutes earlier.  She shut the door with a soft click and then turned toward him.  Jughead’s shoulders were squared, jaw set into a tight line.  He looked ready for a fight, and she knew it was her fault.  She always went into interactions with him on the defensive, based on years of blaming him for the destruction of her and Archie’s relationship.  Now that she knew that was all a lie, she didn’t quite know how to handle him.  How do you approach someone, when all you’ve known was hostility?

            Unable to find any words, Betty did the only other thing she could think of, and she stepped forward and pulled him into a light jug.  Jughead’s body stiffened against hers, and he murmured, “What’s happening right now?”

            Betty pulled away immediately.  “Okay, that was obviously th wrong decision.  Sorry about that.”

            “What’s going on?”

            “I have a lot to say, but I’m still sort of processing, so you need to give me a minute.”

            “Did Old Lady Blossom tell you something else?” Jughead asked immediately, eyes wide with excitement.

            Betty chose to ignore the Old-Lady-Blossom comment, and shook her head.  “No, it has nothing to do with the story.  It’s about us.”

            “About us?  Don’t you think there are more pressing things to attend to?  Like the fact that Jason Blossom might be dead?”

            “I know that you didn’t break Archie and me up,” Betty blurted out.

            “Wait, what?  Of course, I didn’t.”

            Betty pressed her lips together nervously.  “See, for all these years, I sort of thought that you were the one who broke Archie and me up.  Veronica said that she overheard you convincing him to end things.”

            “No, I told him to stay with you,” Jughead said slowly.  “I said you were on the of the best things to happen to him, and he’d be an idiot to let you go.”

            Betty stared at him.  Archie hadn’t shared that last part.  “You said that?”

            He nodded, somewhat uncomfortable at the softness in her eyes.  “Yeah.  I mean, it’s the truth.  Well, maybe not anymore.  Him and Cheryl seem pretty happy, but in high school it was definitely true.”

            Betty cleared her throat.  “Anyway, I’m really sorry.  I’ve been awful to you all of these years for something you didn’t do.”

            Jughead shrugged and told her, “It’s alright.  You didn’t know.”

            “You’re really forgiving me that easily?”

            “You said yourself that you didn’t know.  How can I blame you for someone else’s lie?”

            “I don’t know if I deserve that, but thank you, Jug.”

            Jughead paused for a moment before he held his hand out toward her.  “We should rejoin your delightful family.  I think a Maple syrup tasting is up next.”

            “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

            “I wish that I was.”

            They walked out of the room and saw that the majority of the group had settled around a long mahogany table in the dining room.  They all chatted amicably as wait staff dutifully set small silver cups the size of a thimble in front of them.  Betty and Jughead sat near the end of the table, Betty haphazardly thanking the maid as her own sampling of syrup was set in front of her.

            “What you have in front of you is a 1989 vintage,” Clifford Blossom said.  “It goes remarkably well with savory dishes.”

            Betty took a sip, thinking that it tasted no differently than other maple syrups.  Jughead did the same beside her, giving her a noncommittal shrug when she looked his way.  Following the 1989 savory-combination-syrup, there was a later vintage that paired particularly well with fruits, and then another that Clifford Blossom advised was curated on Cheryl’s birthday.  Everyone nodded appreciatively and boasted about the accolades of each vintage, Betty trying not to show that she thought it was all utter and complete bullshit.  Jughead was less successful at that feat, and she kicked him under the table.  Finally, it was time for the final testing.  Betty was surprised to have a small silver tray without any raised edges, approximately the size of half a dollar bill, placed in front of her.  Next, the maid brandished a small vial of white powder and poured a dainty line.

            Betty hadn’t seen a lot of cocaine in her life, but she was fairly certain that it was in front of her.  She looked over at Jughead with mildly concealed panic.  He looked similarly at a loss, hands curled tightly around his kneecaps. 

            “Clifford, this is absolutely beautiful this year,” a man crowed.  “It’s white like snow.  Absolutely pristine.”

            “Yes, Clifford,” a woman rang in.  “You have outdone yourself this year.”

            Betty watched the table bring the trays close to their faces one by one, a chorus of sniffs following until silence fell on Betty and Jughead.  The entire table looked over at them, wide eyes scanning their stricken faces.

            “I, uh, better not,” Jughead said, pushing the tray away from him.  “I’m prone to nosebleeds.  They’re not a pretty sight.  And, Betty’s the same.  Right, sweet heart?  We actually bonded over that during our first date.  Such a weird coincidence, right?”

            “Blossoms are blessed with the sturdiest of noses,” Clifford boomed.  “Come, Betty.  Sample the fruits of the true family business.”

            Betty looked around the table, her gaze lingering on Archie, who wore a look that she’d never seen before.  Her gaze dropped to the empty platter in front of him.  She didn’t know what it was about this family that turned people she cared about into _this_ , but she wasn’t about to become one of them.  She picked up the tray and slowly brought it to her face.

            “Betty,” Jughead said next to her, his voice as tight as the knots in her stomach.  She slid her eyes to his and held his gaze as she softly inhaled through her mouth.

            And sneezed. 

            White powder swirled in the air like snow in a breeze, and Clifford Bloom watched in horror as the fruits of his family’s business settled uselessly in Betty’s hair, on the ground, in the decorative plantar set a few feet from her.  For good measure, Betty threw in a few more sneezes.

            “I’m so sorry,” she said, wiping at her nose.  “It must be from being outside.  I have terrible allergies.”

            “Perhaps you can sample it another time,” Clifford said gingerly.

            “That’s probably for the best.  Excuse me.”

            Betty feigned embarrassment, getting up from the table and rushing out into the hallway.  She heard Jughead offer polite apologies before following her out of the room.  He took a hold of her arm and asked in a low voice, “Did you just Woody Allen your way out of doing cocaine?”

            “We need to talk to that older woman again,” Betty said quickly.  She gestured toward the room they just exited and said, “Whatever happened to him, is because of _that_ freak show in there.  Did you see Archie?”

            Jughead nodded, eyes dark.  “I guess people aren’t always who you think they are.”

            “What if Jason didn’t want that to be his family’s legacy?”  Betty said.  “What if he fought against it?  What if _he_ was going to expose it?”

            “We have no way of proving that.”

            “That woman knows something.  I could feel it.  We need to talk to her again.”

            “Okay, we’ll find her.”

            Jughead heard someone approaching and he pulled Betty quickly against him, pressing his lips against the top of her head as he murmured softly, “Look like I’m comforting you.”

            Betty knew how important it was for them to sell their relationship now, particularly after what they just learned, and she pressed her face into his chest, wrapping her arms tighter around him.  She could hear the quick pace of his heart beneath her ear and it mirrored her own.  She listened to it steadily decrease until it returned to normal, but then she looked up at him, their eyes meeting, and it quickened again.  His hands slid to her waist, fingertips gentle yet urgent at the same time.

            “There you are,” a voice said, breaking the moment.  Betty look back to see Archie.  Any previous comfort that she found in his presence was decidedly gone.  She reached up and took one of Jughead’s hands from her waist, holding it tightly in her own.

            “Sorry, I just needed a moment,” Betty said.

            “You should come back in.  We’re starting dinner.”

            “We’ll be right there,” she said.

            Archie paused for a moment and said, “It’s funny, Betty, I never remember you having allergies.”

            Betty stiffened and Jughead said, “Thanks for coming and getting us, Archie.  We’ll be right along.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like about 99% of this chapter was ridiculous, but man, did I enjoy writing it. Hope you enjoyed reading!

**Author's Note:**

> I plan on this being four to five chapters. I hope you all enjoyed it!


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